Skip James was a true Blues-man, born and trained in Bentonia, Mississippi. Bentonia is quiet little town outside of the Mississippi Delta with a rich history of producing some of the best Blues guitar players/singers.
While each one was as unique as the next, the 
Blues-men from this town all seemed to play music with an eerie, depressing feel to it, and always in minor keys. Pair that with the Skip James signature three-finger picking guitar style and an array of unique tunings (mostly in open E minor and even down to D minor) and you’ve got the Bentonia “school” of the Blues.
Here’s an example of some Bentonia Blues: Skip James singing and playing “Devil Got My Woman”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB2POWSnStU&feature=related
Dirty Bourbon River Show 